is a Japanese castle

Japanese castle

' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...

 in Imabari

Imabari, Ehime

is a city located in Ehime, Japan. It is the second largest city in Ehime prefecture.Following a recent merger, the city has an estimated population of 172,384 and density of 410.87 persons per km². The total area is .-Transportation:...

, Ehime

Ehime Prefecture

is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. This castle is well-known as one of the three Mizujiro, literally 'Castles in the sea' in Japan, with Takamatsu Castle

Takamatsu Castle (Sanuki)

is located in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, Japan. This castle is also called .-History:This castle, built in 1590, is well-known as one of the three 'Mizujiro', literally 'Castles in the sea' in Japan, with Imabari Castle in Ehime Prefecture and Nakatsu Castle in Oita...

 in Kagawa Prefecture

Kagawa Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...

 and Nakatsu Castle in Oita Prefecture

Oita Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...

.

History

This castle was constructed by Tōdō Takatora

Todo Takatora

was a Japanese daimyo of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through Edo period. He rose from relatively humble origins as an ashigaru to become a daimyo...

, a local daimyo

Daimyo

is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

. He collected superior knowledge and techniques for building castles from 1602 to 1604 in order to build his own castle. The original major castle to rule the area was Kokufu Castle located on the top of Mount Karako. However, Takatora thought the Kokufu Castle was not in the best place for the governance of the area, so he abolished the old castle and made a new one, Imabari Castle.
By the order of Meiji Government, all of the buildings in the castle were destroyed. In 1980, Imabari City government constructed the new donjon tower in the castle.

Access

• Imabari Station of Yosan Line
  Yosan Line
  The is a railway line on the island of Shikoku in Japan, operated by the Shikoku Railway Company . It runs along the Inland Sea coast, connecting the prefectural capitals of Takamatsu and Matsuyama , continuing on to Uwajima...
  
  
• Imabari Port